Method of preparing pen points



May 11, 1937. LEDIG 2,080146 METHOD OF PREPARING PEN POINTS Filed Dec; 21, 19:55

I INVENT ATTORNEY oiled May ill, i937 23 1 METHOD OF PREPARING PEN E'OINTS Kurt K. Ledig, Newark, N. J., assignor to Ameri can Platinum Works, Newark, N. 3., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 21, 1935, Serial No. 55,541

3 Claims. .(Cl, 219-) invention relates to the manufacture of Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a metallic nib uants and more particularly to the method having a metallic tip attached to one side thereof. 1' status for attaching tips oi iridium or Referring to the drawing, in which the innetals to pen nibs. vention is diagrammatically illustrated, there is 8. Letters Patent 2,005,752, issued on shown a block 1 of graphite or other suitable 5 June to Pfanstiehl there is described. material having a groove 2 therein, in which is preparing pen points which is an positioned a tip 3 of iridium or similar matei' methods heretofore used for rial. The block i is preferably made of graphite turn pen nibs. However, the so that during the passage of current through bed in the above patent requires the block and tip there will be no tendency of the 10 steps such as first tacking a tip graphite block to adhere to the tip. The tip 3 1'. u and then welding the tip and nib. The is preferably preformed in a spherical shape: cc requires the use of an electric arc and however, an irregular shape can be used.

"loft to 12,6139 volts These high voltages Positioned vertically above the tip 3 and the re special irsulation are not ordinarily graphite block 1 is a suitable metallic clamp 4 work. with. which supports a pen nib 5. The block 4 is an object of this invention to provide a mounted on an arm 6 pivoted at "a", the downward Hi and apparatus attaching tips to pen movement of the arm being limited by stops 8.

hich can be performed a current at The pen nib 5 is provided with an arcuate reively low "voltage, preferably from 2 to cess 9 at the tip thereof so that when it is one operation. I brought into contact with the iridium tip 3, the ob :ct is the provision of a method latter will be automatically centered with rea pen nib is caused to lightly contact spect to the pen nib 5. The graphite block is m or similar metal and then causelectrically connected by a wire l4 to an arouat i 2 to 3 volts to be passed ate contact iii of a timing device which, for excoo \gth oi time through the ample, can comprise a rotating arm ill mounted tip to most, a substantial welding of upon a gear ii which is in mesh with a small the riih gear 52 mounted upon the shaft of an electric r object the provision of an appamotor 13. The gear H is provided with a circutips iridiurn or similar lar disc or collar 16 which is in constant contact :1 includes means for with a brush H which is connected by a wire J8 mt contact with a tip, to the secondary of the transformer t9, the seccent ing the ib w t ondary of the transformer being connected 1 means for passing an electric through an adjustable resistance 20 to the block he tip and nib to cause a sub- 4?. The above described timing device is merely i the tip to the and means by way of example; and obviously other forms time of of the current of timing devices can be used without departing d nib. from the spirit of the invention.

advantageous objects, which In operation, the arm 6 is moved downwardly accomplished by the sin1- to bring the pen nib 5 into light contact with the 5 ticstruction and arrangement tip 3, the recess 9 in the pen nib automatically hereinafter described and. exhibited. in centering the tip with respect to the nib. It is arr ing drawing, forming; hereof, necessary that the contact be light and limited so that during the welding: operation an excess i tic view of the apparaof the metal adjacent the recess 9 will not flow the nib with a metallic around the sides of the tip 3. The limiting of the degree of contact between the nib 5 and the largei view showing portions tip 3 is accomplished by means or" the stop 8 ietailic tip, and a graphite which obviously limits the extent to which the :le tip, arm. 6 can be moved downwardly After the nib 5c rational view of metallic has come into contact with the tip 3, the circuit ie tip, during the is closed to place the timing device into operato nib, tion and the a; H) will engage the contact l5 lei view of the metallic for a predetermined length of time which causes nietallic tip. and a current at from 2 to 30 volts to flow through I the nib and tip, producing a substantial welding of the tip to the nib.

During the initial flowing of the current, the metal at the extreme end of the nib 5 immediately begins to fuse causing a softening o! the end of the nib 5 which causes the nib 5 to move downwardly slightly; but the downward movement of the nib is controlled by the stop 8 so that the nib will move down just sufllcient to enable a portion of the fused nib to engage the tip 3 a short distance along the sides thereof.

It will be seen that the current is not passed through the nib and tip until they are in actual contact and consequently no arc is formed to cause an excess heating of the pen nib 5. Excess heating is also prevented by limiting the time of the passage of current through the nib 5 and the tip 3. According to the method herein described, obviously less metal is required to be heated and consequently there is less heating of the nib 5, thereby keeping the nib below the annealing temperature.

By providing the block I of graphite, welding of the tip 3 to the block i is prevented, as would be the case were a metal block employed.

The pen nibs 5 are made with the recess 8 formed-in one end thereof.

From the above description it will be seen that there has been provided a simple and economical method and apparatus for conveniently and effectively attaching tips of iridium or similar material to pen nibs. The method requires an alternating or direct current at approximately 2 to 30 volts, which necessitates no special insulation.

In Fig. 1, although the nib 5 moves in an armate path due to its support at the end of the arm 6, the are is so great that the nib substantially moves in a straight line vertically downward. In fact, at the time the. nib 5 engages tip 33 on a line at an angle to the vertical.

means of this arrangement, the tip 33 will be attached to one side of the nib as shown in Fig. 5, which is the common practise at present in the manufacture of pen points.

The metallic tip is preferably attached to the metal nib in a reducing atmosphere, such as a stream of hydrogen or other suitable ionizable gas, in a manner which is well known in this art.

The foregoing disclosure is to be regarded as descriptive and illustrative only, and not as restrictive or. limitative of the invention, of which obviously embodiments may be constructed including many modifications, without departing from the general scope herein indicated and denoted in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. The method of tipping a metallic nib with a metallic tip, comprising forming the end of the nib to be tipped with a recess, bringing said recessed end of the nib into engagement with the tip to cause an automatic centering of the tip with respect to said nib, and then passing an electric current through said nib and tip for a predetermined period of time.

2. The method of tipping a metallic nib with a metallic tip, comprising forming the end of the nib to be tipped with a recess, bringing said recessed end of the nib into engagement with the tip to cause an automatic centering of the tip with respect to said nib, and then passing an alternating current of low voltage through said nib and tip for a predetermined period of time.

3. The method of tipping a metallic nib with a metallic tip, comprising forming the end of he nib to be tipped with a recess, bringing said recessed end of the nib into engagement with the tip to cause an automatic centering of the tip with respect to said nib, and then passing a current at from 2 to 30 volts through said nib and tip for a predetermined period of time,

' KURT K LEDIG. 

